Rio Youershttp://rioyouers.com
Tue, 13 Jun 2017 14:00:51 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5The Forgotten Girl – Out Now!http://rioyouers.com/2017/06/13/the-forgotten-girl-out-now/
http://rioyouers.com/2017/06/13/the-forgotten-girl-out-now/#respondTue, 13 Jun 2017 14:00:51 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=1109Continue reading →]]>Today is the day. THE FORGOTTEN GIRL is out in the world—available now at bookstores and online retailers everywhere. This is my first novel with a major publisher (Macmillan/St. Martin’s Press) and I couldn’t be more thrilled. It is the result of many, many years of hard work and dedication. My endless thanks to everybody who has supported me to this point, and to all those who read THE FORGOTTEN GIRL and help spread the word.

If you’re on the fence and perhaps looking for a reason to add THE FORGOTTEN GIRL to your library, here’s what a few folks who have read had to say:

“How Youers manages to skillfully weave character development into a book filled with edge-of-your-seat action is a testament to his writing skills. This is a smart thriller that also explores the power of love and memory. Highly recommended.” —Booklist (starred review)

“An absolute rocket—The Forgotten Girl is a supernatural thriller that thunders along at Mach 5 from the first page to the last. Written with a brutal lyricism, a savage wit, and a killer instinct for suspense, it’s a work that marks out Rio Youers as a big star.” —Joe Hill, New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman and Heart-Shaped Box

“A page-turner of a novel with concepts that twist your mind, characters that tug at your heartstrings, and a narrative that leaves you breathless. The Forgotten Girl is a supernatural thriller that will ensure you never forget Rio Youers.” —Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes

“Rio Youers writes with a magic all his own. The Forgotten Girl is a unique and twisted thriller, loaded with suspense but also laced with beautiful heartbreak. Youers is a rare and original voice, and I can’t wait to see what he does next!” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Snowblind and Dead Ringers

“The Forgotten Girl has everything going for it. Rio Youers has seasoned an original plot with engaging, unpredictable characters, and a totally badass villain, concocting a heady thrill-fest that will keep you turning pages into the wee hours.” —F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of the Repairman Jack series

“Sometimes it’s the story that thrills us. Sometimes it’s the writer. Whether we know it or not, we always want both. The Forgotten Girl gives us both … halfway through … you think, “I’d be glued to absolutely anything Youers is spinning.’” —Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box and Black Mad Wheel

Lots of great praise so far, as you can see, and hopefully that will continue. If you read the book, and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review somewhere … or spreading the word through friends and family. Word of mouth is SO important.

So there it is … THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, available now wherever books are sold.

THE FORGOTTEN GIRL hits bookstores on June 13th and I’ll be celebrating with a book launch in my hometown. The party kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Elora Brewing Company in beautiful downtown Elora. Roxanne from Roxanne’s Reflections Book & Card Shop will be on hand to sell copies of THE FORGOTTEN GIRL at a discounted rate. And I’ll be there to meet and greet, to give a brief reading, and of course to sign books.

So, if Elora, ON is local to you, come on out and say hello. Soak up the atmosphere, enjoy a craft beer brewed on the premises, and get yourself a signed copy of THE FORGOTTEN GIRL. What a lovely way to spend your Tuesday evening!

]]>http://rioyouers.com/2017/06/09/launch/feed/0Seeing Stars (Again)http://rioyouers.com/2017/06/05/seeing-stars-again/
http://rioyouers.com/2017/06/05/seeing-stars-again/#respondTue, 06 Jun 2017 00:07:34 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=1096Continue reading →]]>The reviews for THE FORGOTTEN GIRL are beginning to roll in, and (so far) they’ve been universally positive—great, in fact. To begin with, I was incredibly excited to learn that THE FORGOTTEN GIRL earned its second starred review, this time in the trade magazine BOOKLIST. Here’s a little snippet of what they had to say:

“How Youers manages to skillfully weave character development into a book filled with edge-of-your-seat action is a testament to his writing skills. This is a smart thriller that also explores the power of love and memory. Highly recommended.”

Meanwhile, at CEMETERY DANCE, Dave Simms raves about the book, saying: “Youers writes with both fire and soul here, imbuing THE FORGOTTEN GIRL with life which lifts the novel above many others.” You can read the full review right HERE.

Likewise, head on over to the wonderfully named BOOKGASM for another stellar appraisal. Alan Cranis says, “Rio Youers … combines elements of the supernatural with mystery in a surprisingly satisfying blend that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.” The full review can be found right HERE.

THE FORGOTTEN GIRL will be available wherever books are sold on June 13—just over a week away!

]]>http://rioyouers.com/2017/06/05/seeing-stars-again/feed/0Hero Hourhttp://rioyouers.com/2017/05/26/hero-hour/
http://rioyouers.com/2017/05/26/hero-hour/#commentsFri, 26 May 2017 13:19:16 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=1088Continue reading →]]>Anybody who has read my fiction knows that I have a soft spot for the unlikely hero—that character who isn’t ex-military or proficient in the use of blades, but who yet finds him or herself in a bad situation. Do they roll over and die? Or do they stand up and fight? WESTLAKE SOUL is a pretty good example of this. So is Matthew Bridge from POINT HOLLOW. And hey, let’s not forget Harvey Anderson from my latest novel, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL.

Such is my fascination with the unlikely hero, that I have written an article about it for CRIMINAL ELEMENT. It’s called “We Can Be Heroes” and you can find it right HERE. If you check it out before May 30th and leave a comment, you could win a copy of THE FORGOTTEN GIRL. You have to be a Criminal Element registered user to enter, but if you’re not, it doesn’t take long to scratch your name down. And Criminal Element is an excellent website—probably the best out there—for all things crime and thriller. It’s well worth signing up.

Only a couple of weeks now until THE FORGOTTEN GIRL hits stores. I’ll be back with more news soon!

]]>http://rioyouers.com/2017/05/26/hero-hour/feed/1.GIFnotes.http://rioyouers.com/2017/05/16/gifnotes/
http://rioyouers.com/2017/05/16/gifnotes/#respondTue, 16 May 2017 12:58:42 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=1080Continue reading →]]>Got a couple of minutes? Head on over to the very excellent criminalelement.com and take a visual tour of THE FORGOTTEN GIRL. It’s like CliffsNotes, but with .Gifs.

Naturally, I’m beyond thrilled, and I’m so delighted to hand Wes over to Jen and Sudz, who have an incredible body of work behind them. I know they’ll do an amazing job.

I’ll post more details as and when they come in. In the meantime, check out more from Hungry Eyes Media over on their WEBSITE. And if you haven’t read WESTLAKE SOUL, now might be a pretty good time to do so. You can order it from all bookstores and online retailers.

]]>http://rioyouers.com/2017/05/05/screen-time/feed/0P-Dubhttp://rioyouers.com/2017/05/03/p-dub/
http://rioyouers.com/2017/05/03/p-dub/#respondWed, 03 May 2017 11:50:13 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=1053Continue reading →]]>The first review for THE FORGOTTEN GIRL has landed and it’s a belter—a starred review, no less, from the good people at Publishers Weekly. Here it is:

“Canadian author Youers (Westlake Soul) makes his U.S. debut with a paranormal thriller distinguished by subtle characterizations and emotionally evocative prose. Some vicious thugs abduct street musician Harvey Anderson from his apartment building in Green Ridge, N.J., and give him a savage beating. They want to know the location of Sally Starling, a name he doesn’t recognize, even after they show him a copy of the rental agreement that he and Sally signed in 2010 for the Green Ridge apartment. Later, a man, whom Harvey dubs “the spider,” shows up and explains this memory lapse. The spider reveals that Sally used her power to erase Harvey’s memories of her and that he has a similar ability to probe people’s minds. But despite the spider’s best, excruciatingly painful efforts, all Harvey can summon up is a vague recollection of a dancing woman and the boardwalk at Asbury Park. Harvey’s compelling, moving search for Sally and the truth offers everything that fans of intelligent suspense could wish for.”

Pretty good, huh? Needless to say, I’m over the moon.

With fewer than six weeks until THE FORGOTTEN GIRL hits stores, the reviews will start coming thick and fast.

Publishers Weekly also ran an interview with me recently. You can check it out right HERE.

I’ll be posting more cool stuff as it lands, so stay tuned. And just a reminder: THE FORGOTTEN GIRL hits bookstores and online retailers on June 13.

Not long now!

(My thanks to Chris DiLeo for nabbing this shot from PW.)

]]>http://rioyouers.com/2017/05/03/p-dub/feed/0Turkish Delighthttp://rioyouers.com/2017/01/10/turkish-delight/
http://rioyouers.com/2017/01/10/turkish-delight/#respondTue, 10 Jan 2017 16:56:59 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=1024Continue reading →]]>I’m extremely proud to announce that THE FORGOTTEN GIRL will be published in Turkey by Ithaki Yayinlari.

This is the first foreign sale for THE FORGOTTEN GIRL and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Ithaki Yayinlari produce beautiful books, and their list of authors includes Neil Gaiman, Andy Weir, Josh Malerman, Michael Moorcock, Scott Lynch, Terry Brooks … heck, the list goes on. It’s fair to say I’m in excellent company.

No details on a release date as yet, but I’ll be sure to post it here as soon as I know.

THE FORGOTTEN GIRL will be published in North America on June 13, and is available for pre-order right now.

]]>http://rioyouers.com/2017/01/10/turkish-delight/feed/0THE FORGOTTEN GIRLhttp://rioyouers.com/2016/10/06/the-forgotten-girl/
http://rioyouers.com/2016/10/06/the-forgotten-girl/#respondThu, 06 Oct 2016 15:17:43 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=1006Continue reading →]]>I am incredibly proud to announce that my first novel with a major publishing house is coming out next year. THE FORGOTTEN GIRL will be released by St. Martin’s Press/Thomas Dunne Books on June 13, 2017.

And would you look at that cover!

Okay, right off the bat, here’s what New York Times bestseller Joe Hill has to say about it:

“An absolute rocket—THE FORGOTTEN GIRL is a supernatural thriller that thunders along at Mach 5 from the first page to the last. Written with a brutal lyricism, a savage wit, and a killer instinct for suspense, it’s a work that marks out Rio Youers as a big star.”

Good ol’ Joe.

And here’s a brief synopsis, so you know what you’re in for:

THIS IS HOW YOU’LL REMEMBER ME.

Harvey Anderson is a twenty-six-year-old street performer from New Jersey. He enjoys his peaceful life, but everything he knows is turned upside down when he is abducted and beaten by a group of nondescript thugs. Working for a sinister man known as “the spider,” these goons have spent the last nine years searching for Harvey’s girlfriend, Sally Starling. Now they think they know where she lives. And who she loves.

There’s only one problem: Sally is gone and Harvey has no memory of her. Which makes no sense to him, until the spider explains that Sally has the unique ability to selectively erase a person’s memories. An ability she has used to delete herself from Harvey’s mind.

But emotion runs deeper than memory, and Harvey realizes that he still feels something for Sally. And so—with the spider threatening—he goes looking for a girl he loves but can’t remember … and encounters a danger that reaches beyond anything he could ever imagine.

Political corruption and manipulation. A serial killer’s dark secrets. An appetite for absolute, terrible power … For Harvey Anderson, finding the forgotten girl comes at quite a cost.

Life isn’t so peaceful anymore.

I’ve had novels published before, of course, and short stories published with many of the big houses, but this is my first full novel with a major publisher. It is the result of many, many years of hard work, and it goes without saying that I’m just as thrilled as can be. A special thank you to Christopher Golden, Jaime Levine, and the late, great Mickey Choate, all of whom—in their special way—made this possible.

THE FORGOTTEN GIRL is available for pre-order right now from places like Amazon and Barnes & Noble (so … ya know, feel free to pre-order—I don’t mind at all, I promise), but I’ll be sure to post a full list of online venues when they become available.

Stay tuned for more news.

]]>http://rioyouers.com/2016/10/06/the-forgotten-girl/feed/0Fight Testhttp://rioyouers.com/2016/10/02/fight-test/
http://rioyouers.com/2016/10/02/fight-test/#respondSun, 02 Oct 2016 19:38:04 +0000http://rioyouers.com/?p=999Continue reading →]]>I know it probably seems like I’ve been asleep at the wheel, but this has actually been a busy year for me (too busy to even update my website – ha!). The first part of it was spent finishing and working on edits for my next novel, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL (more on this VERY soon), and I’m also two thirds of the way through a brand new novel called HALCYON. All things being equal, this should see the light of day in the summer of 2018. I know, I know, but these things take time.

I also have a few other things in the pipeline. If they come to fruition (they don’t always, ya know), I’ll spill all the fun details right here.

I’ll leave you, for now, with a promise to update my site more often. By way of apology, here’s the Flaming Lips singing “Fight Test,” which I pretty much played on a loop while writing THE FORGOTTEN GIRL.